By: Robyn Neeley
Genre: Contemporary Christmas Romance
Release Date: October 20, 2021
Publisher: Tule Publishing
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She’ll find her true love in a snowfall…
Or so Charlie Dobbs’s late mother always predicted. But surely that prophecy didn’t apply to towing a famous pajama designer out of a ditch. Besides, Charlie has no time for love—the season always has its share of wrecks, her schedule is packed with Elfcapade festivities, and she’s ditching her mechanic overalls and moving to New York City right after Christmas.
Spencer Carmichael would rather be in the Bahamas, but his famous holiday pajamas have failed for the second year in a row. He’ll need a fresh attitude to overcome this creative block, but the only thing he’s finding in his hometown is a fascination with the woman who saved him from a snowbank. In order to spend more time with Charlie, he offers to take on her never-ending to-do list in exchange for her designing his pajamas.
But partnerships that last beyond Christmas Day require trust. Can Charlie and Spencer put aside the fabric and bows and December trimmings long enough to discover what they really need this Christmas?
Age: 34
Physical Description: Tall, dark brown hair, blue eyes. Known for wearing a suit.
Occupation: Sleepwear designer. Known as the Man with the Bag who delivers every year the must have Christmas jammies of the season from his S.C. collection.
3 likes in no particular order:
- Designing clothes for Warwick’s department store.
- Spending the holidays the way they are meant to be spent – on a beach with a margarita hand and toes in the sand.
- Watching a good game of soccer.
- Being stuck creatively.
- Letting people down.
- Spending too much time in the town he grew up in. It’s a great place to visit, drop off his family’s jammies, and head back to the city!
Favorite food: A steak at a five-star restaurant with a nice red wine, finished off with a decadent dessert not covered in the reindeer frosting that he caught his mom making this Christmas.
Favorite song: “Man with the Bag”, of course!
Choice of transportation: His Audi, if Charlie and her dad ever finish fixing it!
Favorite way to spend an evening: Anywhere with Charlie!
Favorite holiday tradition: Decorating Christmas cookies is definitely a new Christmas tradition. Step one in the Spencer Carmichael decoration process. Examining the cut of the cookie, its shape, and determining its overall sturdiness. Plus, the frosting ratio of white and silver has to be just right to cast a shimmering effect.
Best memory to date: Winning the town’s coveted golden goose, Brookie, at the Sixth Geese a Laying Contest as part of the town’s 12 Day of Elfcapades.
If you could have a do-over, what would you do differently? He definitely would have reconsidered designing the French Hens pajamas complete with feathers. “Eccentric and lacking in Christmas spirit.” NYC Style’s words, not his.
What’s something you’ve said you would never do, but in fact have done? Spencer said he’d never spend a Christmas in Brooks Bend, but when his car slides into a snow bank and his jammies go up in flames (literally!), he has little choice.
Most romantic gesture (done or received): With minutes to make the tree lighting, Spencer and Charlie are at the autobody shop in overalls painting the office. When she exclaims she can’t possibly show up to the ceremony covered in paint, Spencer rolls paint across his face and shirt.
Words to live by: Always step back to see the big picture
Age: 29
Physical Description: Blond hair, blue eyes. Often sporting mechanic overalls and a messy ponytail.
Occupation: Hometown auto mechanic
3 likes in no particular order:
- Winterizing vehicles for the good people of Brooks Bend, Connecticut.
- Participating each year in Brooks Bend’s Elfcapades, the town’s 12 days of Christmas Kindness.
- Spending the holidays with her dad and her furry feline.
- Not getting things done on time.
- Letting people down that count on her mechanic skills and efficiency to fix their vehicles, allowing them to get on with their lives.
- Small town drama.
Favorite food: This time of year, Christmas tree shaped pizza from the Pizza & Pop shop is a must!
Favorite song: Any Christmas tune!
Choice of transportation: Definitely her tow truck!
Favorite way to spend an evening: Cuddled up on her sofa in her apartment above the Pizza & Pop shop with her tabby cat, Jingles, watching a Christmas movie.
Favorite holiday tradition: Selecting a book to gift her mother each year. Though her mother has past, she carries on the tradition.
Best memory to date: Decorating her Christmas tree with Spencer Carmichael – the man whose process is to hang a bulb, step four feet back and examine its placement in relation to the other ornaments was playfully horrified at her toss the tinsel on and just get it done process.
If you could have a do-over, what would you do differently? A few years ago, her boyfriend at the time and the town mayor made her step aside during a press photo because she was wearing her mechanic’s overall. A definite do-over would have to be not to let people make you feel inferior.
What’s something you’ve said you would never do, but in fact have done? Consider leaving Brooks Bend, but when her dad announces he’s selling the autobody and repair shop, she interviews for a job in New York City.
Most romantic gesture (done or received): Charlie’s late mother always predicted she’d find love in a snowfall. She never imagined she’d find love rescuing renowned Christmas pajama designer Spencer Carmichael from a snowbank. With no snowfall in sight this Christmas, Charlie makes a grand gesture as the story concludes because she can’t possibly wait until it snows to reveal to Spencer she’s fallen in love with him.
Words to live by: Just get it done!
I love interweaving Christmas in dialogue and banter. This exchange happened between Charlie and Spencer the morning after their Cute Meet. It happens on the town’s Main Street sidewalk and cracks me up every time!
Charlie sipped her cocoa, following his gaze to the diner where its owner and busted matchmaker gave a short wave before scurrying away from the glass window, disappearing through the kitchen doors. “So, what are you doing out here?” Charlie asked. If his career was in shambles, why was he walking up and down the main drag of Brooks Bend in a tacky Christmas sweater?
“Oh. Don’t mind me.” He waved his hand and took a long sip. “I’m working.”
She cocked her head. “Working?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you made Christmas jammies for a living.”
“I design Christmas pajamas.” He seemed to be correcting her, although she was pretty sure they meant the same thing. “And this is my process. I like to take walks. Move my legs.”
He motioned with both hands. “Really get the blood circulating to unclutter my brain, be one with my thoughts. Breathe in Christmas.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, tilting his head side to side before lifting it to the blue sky. “Breathe . . . in . . . Christmas.”
She shot him over some side-eye that he obviously didn’t catch because he was “working.” Okay then. “I’ll just leave you to breathe in Christmas, but around noon, you might want to switch it up and cross the street. If you keep pacing up and down this sidewalk, all you’re going to smell is pepperoni pizza once Colin fires up his ovens at the Pizza & Pop Shop.”
He began to smile, no doubt having his own memories of Brooks Bend’s longest-standing saucy pie place, and darned if his lips curving slowly weren’t the cutest. “I’ll remember that.”
Charlie sipped her cocoa, following his gaze to the diner where its owner and busted matchmaker gave a short wave before scurrying away from the glass window, disappearing through the kitchen doors. “So, what are you doing out here?” Charlie asked. If his career was in shambles, why was he walking up and down the main drag of Brooks Bend in a tacky Christmas sweater?
“Oh. Don’t mind me.” He waved his hand and took a long sip. “I’m working.”
She cocked her head. “Working?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you made Christmas jammies for a living.”
“I design Christmas pajamas.” He seemed to be correcting her, although she was pretty sure they meant the same thing. “And this is my process. I like to take walks. Move my legs.”
He motioned with both hands. “Really get the blood circulating to unclutter my brain, be one with my thoughts. Breathe in Christmas.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, tilting his head side to side before lifting it to the blue sky. “Breathe . . . in . . . Christmas.”
She shot him over some side-eye that he obviously didn’t catch because he was “working.” Okay then. “I’ll just leave you to breathe in Christmas, but around noon, you might want to switch it up and cross the street. If you keep pacing up and down this sidewalk, all you’re going to smell is pepperoni pizza once Colin fires up his ovens at the Pizza & Pop Shop.”
He began to smile, no doubt having his own memories of Brooks Bend’s longest-standing saucy pie place, and darned if his lips curving slowly weren’t the cutest. “I’ll remember that.”
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I also love everything about honeybees and am obsessed with honey.
Places to find Robyn Neeley:
To enter: Answer Robyn's question. “I love, love browsing Christmas ornaments every year. What is your favorite ornament?”
My favorite ornament is a Lenox cat.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up with this was. Does this actually hang from your tree, or is it a table decoration?
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